


Court of Flowers

by AndroidTwin



Series: Headcanon me, Tumblr! [8]
Category: Iron Man (Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - No Powers, Asgardian Ink, Background Relationships, First Kiss, Florist!Tony, Flower Crowns are a tThing, Getting Together, M/M, Mechanic!Bucky, Natasha & Clint own a coffeeshop, Obi-Gate happened, Tattoo Artist!Steve, Tony courts Bucky with flowers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-12
Updated: 2018-07-12
Packaged: 2019-06-09 13:44:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,083
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15268725
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AndroidTwin/pseuds/AndroidTwin
Summary: Tony learns about flowers with Jarvis, years later it proofs to be the perfect way to seduce his crush.Bucky is a nerd that likes fixing old cars, books, and pressing all the pretty little flowers from Tony's shop into his books.





	Court of Flowers

**Author's Note:**

> Written for whaa-seb-stan over Tumblr, who asked the following;
> 
> "Mechanic!Bucky who looks tough & brooding with his long hair falling messy (when it's not up in a bun when he's under a car) & seldom says anything but always carries a book around & florist!Tony finds out that Bucky presses flowers into books in his spare time. So Tony always delivers a bouquet of the most beautiful (& sometimes rare, therefore expensive) flowers to the workshop to, "liven up the place, Rogers!" & Tony smiles when he swings by later & there's a bloom or two missing."

Gardening had been Jarvis’s thing. Something that was too gentle for someone like Tony, but Jarvis had been a patient man and taught Tony about the meaning of flowers, about their hidden language. He was 9, and about to be shipped out to boarding school, when he saw the beautifully arranged bouquet adorning the foyer of the mansion -since Howard couldn’t care for such trivialities, he never learned the language,- petals that screamed contempt, anger and resentment; a big, bold and beautiful fuck you, tailored for his father.   
  
When questioned about his love for flowers, Tony recalls that memory, Jarvis’s rage going uncontested, unquestioned.   
  
So when his life went to shit with Obie-Gate happened and having surpassed his father in the technology front, and because he wasn’t one for passive-aggressive messages; Tony founded Resilient after severing weapons manufacturing and opened a flower shop. The media circus his post-captivity choices ignited still made Pepper shudder and glare. She was a champion, and an amazing CEO, so with his tech based company in good hands; Tony, logically, became a florist.   
  
At first it was a way to help with the trauma, and honestly, using Rhodey as his flower crowns’ model had been the best thing ever but his best friend eventually got fed up and ordered him to get another human mannequin for to use as a flower pot display, yet asked him for the right flowers to ask someone out without being a cliché schmuck; Tony filled his flower portfolio and his honeybear got a girlfriend. A month later he opened “Little Pricks”.   
  
But even if his new calling hadn’t been the booming success that it is (suck it, Fox News!) Tony had found a nice little niche in New York, full of interesting folks, like Natasha and Clint with their coffee shop “What Brews in Budapest”, Thor from “Asgardian Ink” and the mechanics from “Howlie’s”. One, to be specific; Sir Bucky -Broods-a-lot- Barnes.   
  
The subject of Tony’s inspiration for the better part of a year now, Bucky was Army vet, who -according to Steve (also a veteran, tattoo artist, best friend and primary source)- had a knack for anything with an engine, and when he wasn’t working on restoring classics -with his long hair in a man-bun- could be seen devouring books around the shop. The most interesting bit was, Bucky liked to use flowers as bookmarks.   
  
Nat made a remark about how a bloom of Purple Crocus disappeared from an arrangement Tony’d brought into the shop that same day. Tony became more observant of the arrangements and bouquets he delivered for his newly acquired friends from them on, lo and behold flowers kept vanishing: from Zinnias, Freesias and Blue Tulips to Baby’s breath, Hyacinths, Irises and Nasturtiums.   
  
“Liven up the place, Rogers!” Tony shouts, even though the shop is deserted, it’s mere coincidence that Bucky is present and Tony will admit to nothing else, Steve looks at him with a knowing stare. “You people can do with more color in here.”   
  
“Tony,” Looks like Steve is trying his best to stifle his laughter and his expression ends up being Judgy-disapprovement. Bucky still has his nose buried in his book with his lovely hair doing a great job at hiding his face. Urgh, Tony can’t. Too gorgeous! “I work across the street, I’m sure you remember, you know, the tattoo shop.”   
  
Tony scrunches his nose and rolls his eyes, “So what, now I can only give you flowers? I’m gonna tattle to Nat.”   
  
There’s a huff that can pass as amusement and Tony turns to the subject of his sighing. He catches the brief flash of blue eyes before Bucky’s face is once more hidden from him.   
  
“Can you believe this guy, Bucky-bear?” That startles the man into straightening in his chair. “He thinks he’s all that special.”   
  
“That’s Stevie for you; special, special snowflake.” Bucky gruffs, and Tony doesn’t miss how he glances at the flowers. Mentally, he’s strutting like a peacock because Bucky not only had talk to him but he was looking at the flowers. “He’s a punk, glad you noticed.”   
  
“Takes one to know one, you jerk.” Steve pipes up and Tony uses that opening to excuse himself.   
  
“Well, boys I must leave,” He regrets his words as soon as he says them because Bucky frowns and hides his face away. Fucking shame, really. “I was promised a looksee at an engine I’ve been wanting to get my hands on for a while. See you around.”   
  
He books it for Dum Dum’s side of the shop and then bemoans his stupid mouth to an unsympathetic Nat and Clint, because they were assholes but they brewed mean coffee and at least they listen to him.   
  
***   
  
A few days later, after closing for the day, he heads to Howlie’s ready to get his hands dirty; first thing he notices how the Aster buds are gone and there is a suspicious stem peeking out from a hardcover on a crate. Tony smiles, giddy and if there’s a pep in his step, none of the Commando’s are the wiser.   
  
With Resilient’s latest launch; a new line of prosthetics, another source of clean energy and a new Stark patented phone dubbed “Iron Man”, Tony proposed the event be hosted in Stark Expo Fashion on the Avengers block, and with Pepper’s approval it was a done deal.   
  
Tony continued to be subtle as a brick with the flowers and Bucky kept growing his collection of pressed petals, they still hardly talk but with the messages Tony was shouting through floral bouquets he wondered how the other man wasn’t knocking down on his door, demanding an explanation.   
  
It came to a head with what ended up being a Festival, and even though he was a bit harried with decoration and last minute tweaks in the schedule, Tony made sure to have his coup de grâce ready; according to Rhodey, Carol, Pepper and even his part time employee Kamala this was too much of a bold move not to be noticed by Tony’s crush.   
  
“You’re using Chocolate Cosmos, I don’t know how you got a hold of those and honestly I don’t want to,” Rhodey shook his head at how gone Tony was on this Bucky guy, but he knew those were some very rare blossoms on the flower crown Tony kept looking at like it was a beacon of enlightenment and hope.   
  
“Well Sour Patch, Jade Vine didn’t seem dedicated enough.”   
  
“Also it would have clashed horribly with your Red Tulips.” Rhodey mused, because Tony loved him but he was an ass.   
  
Tony huffed like a spurned cat and turned to look at his love letter to Bucky; the Jonquil and Forsythia sparse underneath the Tulips, weaved with Oleanders with some Spider sneaked in and Camellias, Indian Jasmine. If nothing else comes from this, at least Bucky will have a nice and fragrant crown full of love notes.   
  
The Festival on Avenger’s block was in full swing and even the hipsters from “Knowhere Guardians” joined in the party; their resident hippie, Groot was dragged away by the steampunked shorty named Rocket with the promise of coming over with some rare buds and seeds he’d acquired on his globetrotting.  He saw Steve with his wife Peggy, trying and only sort of failing at dancing, Nat and Clint having a fun time selling their baked stuff and rolling their eyes at the outrageous coffee requests, he spied Bruce and Jane competing for best bartender with a PhD, but Bucky was nowhere to be seen.   
  
“Maybe he wasn’t feeling like socializing.” He shrugged when Kamala pouted at him.   
  
“I like your crown, Boss.”   
  
Tony smiled at the kid, she was a marshmallow. “Thanks, Kamala. Go, go have fun out there.”   
  
“But…”   
  
“Here.” Tony put a delicate diadem of weaved Queen Anne’s Lace and Orchids, and sent her to have fun.  Tony looked on as everyone around him interacted and had a good time while he sighed like a lovesick teenager over a guy that hardly talked, but…   
  
“Why are you here looking so forlorn?” Tony jumped, because Steve have never hinted at Bucky’s sneaking skills, so now his heart rate was through the roof and he looked like Bambi. “My bad. Didn’t mean to scare ya, doll.”   
  
DOLL!? Tony could have melt in a puddle of goo, but he had a plan; one that the late Edwin Jarvis would have been proud of and amused by. “You’re a sneaky one, Mr. Barnes.”   
  
Bucky raised an eyebrow, and just then Tony noticed, his hair was in a messy bun with fringes of his bangs framing the sides of his face and really how could a man look so gorgeous with so little effort? Bucky raised his left hand and waved, “I could say the same about you.”   
  
Oh right, Tony had pushed the prosthetics’ division to manufacture his design on a lighter and more functional prosthesis; Bucky being the main candidate for the “Winter Soldier” model. “Ah, I see. Is not giving you much trouble, is it?” at Bucky’s head shake, Tony sighed in relief. “Great, but I…um, I have something for you?”   
  
“Was that a question or a statement?”   
  
“Are you getting sassy with me?” There was a hint of a smirk and a shrug. Tony half turned and picked the crown with care. “Just…Come here.”   
  
The grumpy looking mechanic strode over and Tony had to think about breathing, there was something electric about staring head on at Bucky; his blue eyes carried an unknown intensity that had Tony enthralled.   
  
“Yes, Tony?” Murmured Bucky when less than a foot of distance separated them.   
  
“I-made something for you.” Without more prompting, Tony lifted the crown over Bucky’s head and set it with care. Then, he found he couldn’t look away, not like he wanted to either.   
  
“It smells divine.” Bucky whispered, like he was sharing a secret, took a step closer. “Thank you, Tony.”   
  
Ok, ok, ok! This was not a drill. Bucky was within kissing distance and the only thing Tony had to do was tilt his head, just so. Apparently Bucky was on his wavelength since they were a hairbreadth away, Tony closed his eyes…   
  
“There you are, Tony. It’s time for your speech.” Pepper exclaimed and Bucky’s eyes went wide, the man jumped away from Tony as he’d been burned and Tony wilted like a Night-Blooming Cereus.   
  
“Thank you for the flowers.” Bucky left before Tony could say anything else.   
  
“Oh!” She shifted a little. “Was that Mr. Barnes?”   
  
Tony shrugged it off and tried to get to the rest of the night without showing his crushing disappointment at missing his chance.   
  
***   
  
Three days later, even Kamala was getting sick of the depressing displays full of sad flowers even if Gamora seemed to like them. He was ready to close when the door opened and there was Bucky with a dark scowl, like someone had taken a piss over every single thing he loved in life.   
  
“Hello, Bucky.” Tony tried for cheerful and missed the mark by half a mile.   
  
Bucky though, let an old tome of compendium of Jules Verne fall on the table and crossed his arms; chin jutted as in challenge and said, “Open it.”   
  
Without anything else to lose, Tony did as told. His breath caught when right in the middle of the book he found Red Tulips and Ambrosia. “I…”   
  
“I came here to ask you out, and you gave me a crown full of “I love you” and rare chocolate smelling flowers.“ Bucky states, eyes fixed on Tony’s. "And now, all I see is Ice Plant and Yellow Carnations.”   
  
“But you…” Tony stared some more at the pressed petals presented to him and felt some of the weight slide off. “Do you…?”   
  
“Do you know how long I had to build the courage to make a pass at you?” Said Bucky, finally letting uncrossing his arms and relaxing his posture. “I’ll give you a hint; since you came into Asgardian Ink with a vase filled with Passion flowers.”   
  
“That was before I met you.”   
  
“Well, I saw you first, dollface.” Bucky smiled when Tony’s cheeks flushed. Holding out his new arm to Tony, he asked. “What do you say to trying again?”   
  
Tony, confident in the sturdiness of his worktables, vaulted over and into Bucky’s waiting arms. Bucky encircled his waist and pulled him close. “So, where were we?”   
  
Instead of using words, Bucky leaned in and kissed him.


End file.
